Paris, May 27 (Reporter) American tennis star and World No. 2 Coco Gauff made an unexpected and light-hearted start to her French Open 2025 campaign on Tuesday, stepping onto Court Philippe-Chatrier without her rackets in hand. The 20-year-old, dressed in a striking leather jacket, was ready to face Australia’s Olivia Gadecki in the opening round when she realised she had left her rackets behind. The incident led to a brief delay as her team scrambled to deliver the all-important equipment. Tennis legend Chris Evert, who was on commentary duty for the match, appeared baffled. “Oh no! She went on the court without her rackets!” she exclaimed as the cameras cut to Gauff’s team, who also seemed puzzled. Gadecki, taking the mishap in good humour, smiled as the umpire informed her of the short pause in proceedings. Once the rackets arrived, Gauff quickly regained focus. Despite the distraction, the American raced to a 3-0 double-break lead in the first set, demonstrating her readiness on court if not off it. Co-commentator Naomi Cavaday remarked, “She looks like she’s got two holdall bags, but not a racket bag,” adding to the moment’s unexpected comic relief. The incident did little to dent Gauff’s momentum, but it became the talking point of the day at Roland-Garros, with social media and tennis forums abuzz over the rare blunder from a top-ranked player. The French Open continues, with fans eagerly watching to see whether Gauff can channel the same energy and recover her focus for a deep run in the tournament...////...